A nonprofit corporation or organization generally may not use a public park, playground, or other public facility name with certain benefit words in its corporate name, unless the section’s consent and revenue-dedication conditions are met.
§204.1. Corporate name restrictions A. Except as provided in this Section, the corporate name of a nonprofit corporation or organization shall not contain the name of any public park, playground, or other public facility together with the word "benefit", "benevolent", "endowment", "philanthropic", "foundation", or "fund". Nor shall a nonprofit corporation or organization deceptively or falsely imply or otherwise suggest that the corporation or organization is organized for the financial benefit of a park, playground, or other public facility unless the articles of incorporation provide that the revenues of such corporation or organization are dedicated to the exclusive or sole benefit of such park, playground, or other public facility and the governing authority of the governmental entity that owns or operates the park, playground, or public facility, by written consent, agrees to the corporate use of the name of the park, playground, or public facility. B.(1) If use of the name of a park, playground, or other public facility is consented to by the appropriate governmental entity, such written consent shall be in the form of a contract for a fixed term of ten years. At the expiration of such contract, the corporation shall have one hundred eighty days within which to either amend its corporate name or obtain another renewal of the contract authorizing the continued use of the name. (2) Any corporation existing on July 10, 1997, whose corporate name contains the name of a park, playground, or other public facility together with the word "benefit", "benevolent", "endowment", "philanthropic", "foundation", or "fund" shall have one hundred eighty days within which to either obtain consent of the governing authority that owns or operates such park, playground, or public facility or amend its articles of incorporation to provide that the revenues of such corporation or organization are dedicated to the exclusive or sole benefit of such park, playground, or public facility. C. In addition to the remedies otherwise provided by law, any governmental entity may enforce the provisions of this Section by a civil suit, including a suit to enjoin any violation hereof. Upon finding that a person, corporation, or organization has knowingly violated this Section, a court may award damages, including an award of all profits derived from the said violation, and may order the destruction of all items bearing the name, symbol, or other descriptive inscription in violation of this Section. Acts 1997, No. 819, §1, eff. July 10, 1997.